By Ogenyi Ogenyi,Uyo
Senator Bassey Akpan, YPP governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election, has called for the relocation of the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo to Abuja.
Akpan who made the call Wednesday at the resumed hearing in the matter between him, YPP vs PDP, INEC and Umo Eno cited threats to his personal life and the level of insecurity in the state recently.
The petitioner who was to be cross examined by the Justice Adeleye led tribunal ahead of closing his defence, however expressed fears that his life and that of his witnesses were under threat by agents of the state government, hence the need to relocate the Tribunal to Abuja.
Akpan’s plea might not be unconnected with the unfortunate event of Tuesday, June 20, shortly after sitting, which witnessed a failed attempt to arrest the supaened witness by agents of the state government.
The witness, Mr Daniel Akpan, an administrative officer of the University of Uyo was at the Tribunal to testify against the defendant’s WAEC certifications and his qualification or otherwise to have graduated from the University of Uyo.
The witness’s vexed revelation at the Tribunal was said to have irked the PDP and Governor Umoh Eno’s legal team, a development that led to the barricade of Wellington Bassey Way in an attempt to arrest the witness.
The petitioner’s vehicle was teargassed by armed security men amidst sporadic shooting but it was gathered that it took the intervention of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio for the security men to release the YPP guber candidate who was held hostage for some hours.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul Usoro, SAN, counsel for the PDP and Governor Umo Eno argued that the absence of the petitioner in court was going to delay the cross examination process even as the Tribunal adjourned the matter to July 5.
